Who We Are
BoardTable CZ started in 2021 as a way to document board game sessions among a group of friends meeting regularly in Prague's Vinohrady district. What began as session notes and rating comparisons grew into a more structured review site when it became clear that the English-language board game writing available online rarely addressed the specific context of Czech players — local availability, Czech-edition quality, relevant conventions, and the practical question of which games hold up at Czech family gatherings.
The site is run by two core contributors. Jan has been playing chess competitively since age 9 and has been reviewing modern board games for the past eight years. Markéta brings experience from regular attendance at Essen Spiel, Europe's largest board game convention, and focuses primarily on cooperative and family titles. Both of us have full-time jobs outside the hobby, which keeps our perspective grounded in the reality of fitting gaming around ordinary life rather than reviewing from a professional media standpoint.
Our Review Methodology
We do not publish reviews based on a single session. Our minimum is four complete plays before a rating is finalised — ideally across different player counts and different groups. This approach takes longer and means we publish fewer reviews than larger sites, but it produces ratings we stand behind over time.
Each review goes through the following process:
- Initial learning session — first play with the rulebook
- Second session — adjusted play with corrected rules understanding
- Third and fourth sessions — varied configurations and experienced players
- Rating discussion — comparing impressions and reconciling differences
- Writing — at least two revisions before publishing
We revisit ratings after significant expansions change the core experience. Pandemic Legacy received its current score after completing the full campaign, not after a single legacy session.
Our Expertise and Sources
Our primary external reference for game ratings and community consensus is BoardGameGeek, the most comprehensive board game database available. We also follow coverage from Czech Games Edition, who publish news and designer notes for their catalogue. For historical and design context, we use academic work on game theory and the published designer diaries available through BGG's editorial archive.
We have attended the following events with direct game-testing opportunities:
- Essen Spiel — 2022, 2023, 2024
- Herní Fest Prague — annually since 2021
- Regional Czech game meetups in Prague, Brno and Olomouc
Editorial Independence
BoardTable CZ does not accept payment for reviews or ratings. We have no affiliate arrangements with retailers or publishers. When we link to external retailers, it is because they are the most practical option for Czech players, not because of any commercial relationship. Our scores reflect our genuine assessment after repeated play.
If you disagree with a rating or believe a review misrepresents a game, write to us. We take honest corrections seriously and update published reviews when warranted. Contact details are on the contact page.
Why Board Games?
The answer is less philosophical than it might sound. Board games occupy a specific space in social life that digital entertainment cannot replicate — they require physical presence, shared attention, and the kind of informal negotiation that builds genuine familiarity between people. A group that has played 40 games of Ticket to Ride together has shared something qualitatively different from 40 hours of parallel television viewing.
The Czech board game scene is also genuinely interesting. Czech Games Edition is one of Europe's most respected publishers. Czech players have historically been strong performers in competitive chess. The country has a rich tradition of pub culture that has, over the last decade, increasingly incorporated regular game evenings. Covering this scene from inside it feels like worthwhile work.
Page last updated: March 2026